


you are so beautiful (even the leaves fall for you)

by blutsbad



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Flower Shop, Alternate Universe - Tattoo Parlor, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-25
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:47:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,138
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28301112
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blutsbad/pseuds/blutsbad
Summary: “you better take care of these,” jaehyun warns. “if not, i will never step a foot in here anymore.”“oh man, i can’t lose my best customer like that,” taeyong plays along.“exactly,” jaehyun nods, eyes sparkling beautifully as he looks directly into taeyong’s eyes. “who would annoy you every monday morning if not for me?”tldr; jaehyun owns the tattoo shop in front of taeyong's flower shop. they fall in love.
Relationships: Jung Yoonoh | Jaehyun/Lee Taeyong
Comments: 2
Kudos: 164





	you are so beautiful (even the leaves fall for you)

**Author's Note:**

> to the receiver of my secret santa; 
> 
> first of all i want to apologize. 
> 
> this fic turned out very short, you probably deserve much, much more than this but i hope you like it anyway. 
> 
> secondly, i want to thank you. 
> 
> thanks to you, i got the courage to finally finish something. i had been stuck in a rut for more than two years and while it's not completely gone and my writing has a lot of room for improvement, this fic helped me take that first step back into writing and i don't even know how to thank you for that. 
> 
> i hope you like it.

“welcome - “

taeyong stares with wide eyed wonder at the person - jaehyun - coming in. 

jaehyun is in his usual leather jacket and ripped skinny jeans. taeyong should already be accustomed to seeing him looking  _ this _ incredibly attractive but he isn’t. 

he really, really isn’t. 

taeyong feels his cheeks heat up when jaehyun grins at him and steps forward to the counter with an easy smile. 

“hey,” jaehyun greets. 

“h-hello!” taeyong stutters, his hands nervously reaching behind his back so that he can tighten his apron, which is totally unnecessary but it at least gives him something to do with his hands. “what kind of flowers do you want today?” 

it’s monday, taeyong’s favourite day of the week. 

most people hate mondays. 

who wouldn’t when it’s the day  _ after _ the weekend and everyone has to start another week of school or work. besides, the weekend seems like an eternity away and that feeling is never nice. 

taeyong used to hate them, too.

even more during the winter like right now, they used to mean lonely days watching as potential customers walked away from the store, rushing to get home as to not get stuck in the rain - or well, snow. 

ever since jaehyun and one of his friends opened up their tattoo studio right in front of his flower shop, however, it has become a day he always looks forward to. 

jaehyun brightens his normally gloomy and moody mondays every week by coming in and looking absolutely stunning. 

his hair always seems to be neatly styled (oh, what taeyong would give just to be able to run his hands through it) and the biggest, cutest grin on his face. 

he gets some flowers for his studio and makes small talk with him. 

the way he speaks with his soothing voice and well thought-out phrases never fails to make taeyong’s heart double in speed. 

“purple bellflowers?” jaehyun answers. “ten said they’d look pretty in the entrance hall.” 

taeyong nods, biting his lips as he goes around the counter to fetch the flowers from the back of the room. 

a smile instantly blooms on his face when he picks them up, making sure that he gets the prettiest of the bunch. he smiles contently and then gets back to jaehyun. 

“do you want the wrapping paper to be a strong or pastel purple?” 

“pastel purple seems to fit the colour scheme better. it will make the flowers look softer,” jaehyun giggles. “don’t you think?” 

“yeah,” taeyong agrees, giggling along with him. 

he concentrates on wrapping the flowers up nicely and even takes a dark purple strap from one of the drawers underneath the counter to make a cute bow, which will also hopefully hold the flowers and wrapping paper together. 

just as he is about to finish, jaehyun clears his throat, making him look up. 

“how was your weekend?” 

“ah, it was okay,” taeyong replies and goes back to finishing the bouquet. when it’s done, he whistles at how pretty it had turned out and then smiles. “i didn’t do much. just played some video games with my friends and slept a lot.” 

“it sounds like a fun weekend,” jaehyun chuckles. “it’s better than working anyways.” 

taeyong makes a noise of agreement and hands him over the flowers. 

a blush creeps on his face when jaehyun’s hand accidentally touches his while he takes it and he tries his best to not let it show by biting his lips and looking away. 

“they look beautiful,” jaehyun compliments as he takes out his wallet with one hand. “thank you.” 

“it’s nothing,” taeyong waves him off. “it’s my job after all.” 

he waits for a few seconds for jaehyun to pay, quietly admiring the cuteness of jaehyun’s concentrated frown as he finally opens his wallet and then proceeds to try and take out a few bills. 

“want me to help you out?” he laughs, eyes crinkling.

taeyong notices how jaehyun’s cheeks seem to flush red before he nods, mumbling a quiet “please” under his breath. 

he carefully takes two ten thousand won bank notes out and puts them in the cash register. 

he is about to give jaehyun his change when he speaks up.

“keep it,” jaehyun smiles, gesturing with his face to the money.

“thanks,” taeyong blushes furiously again and gives jaehyun his wallet back.

taeyong watches jaehyun’s tongue dart out to wet his lips as he tries to put it in the back pocket of his pants again - and hell, jaehyun’s tongue should be illegal - before jaehyun waves at him and turns around, walking out of the shop and jogging to the other side of the street. 

he sighs happily, watching jaehyun struggling to open the door to the tattoo studio and then slipping inside. 

“you’re so in love, it’s disgusting.” doyoung pipes up from behind him.

taeyong startles at his voice, having completely forgotten that his friend was even in the shop with him, and then turns around to glare at him.

“shut up!”

“oh, don’t be grumpy, you were in such a good mood just seconds ago,” doyoung teases, cackling as he brings in some yellow tulips from the storage room. “i bet he was really charmed by your stuttering and blushing.”

“i am going to kill you one day,” he wants it to sound dangerous and threatening but it comes out more like an annoyed whine than an actual threat. 

“i’d like to see you try,” doyoung winks. 

taeyong turns back around to the counter and slams his head against it, in a very gentle manner of course, he still wants to live.

at least today he had actually talked to jaehyun. 

the first time jaehyun came in, taeil had to take over because taeyong just stood there gaping, no words forming or coming out of his mouth, and looked like an absolute idiot. 

he sighs as he stands back up and looks out the window. 

“i will do better next time,” he says to himself before going back to work, shaking his head and making any thoughts involving jaehyun disappear. 

  
  
  


❀

  
  
  


when jaehyun comes into the shop the next time, taeyong looks like a complete mess. 

he is in the middle of dethorning about five hundred roses and to contrary believe, it’s not as easy as it looks. 

it’s extremely exhausting and he can feel himself getting dizzy from all the squinting he has been doing, his hands bleeding from various places from pricking himself with the thorns he had been too distracted to see. 

jaehyun enters later than usual, a grin on his face as he waves at taeyong before he goes and inspects all of their currently available flowers. 

taeyong tries to wipe his bloody hands on his apron, wincing when the cuts on them stink the tiniest bit, and smiles at jaehyun’s back, patiently waiting for jaehyun to decide on what kind of flower he’d like today. 

it doesn’t take long for jaehyun to turn around and grin at him, asking for some daffodils. 

he stands up and takes some of them. 

this time he decides on the wrapping paper himself - a nice yellow tone that matches well with them. 

taeyong is in the middle of telling jaehyun about taeil’s drunken escapade during the weekend as an answer to jaehyun’s usual question about how his weekend went, when jaehyun furrows his eyebrows and takes a hold of taeyong’s hands. 

“you’re bleeding,” he points out the obvious, worriedly looking at him. 

“yeah, i know,” taeyong laughs - he cringes at how it sounds a little bit rushed, like he had just been running, thanks to his heart almost beating out of his chest - and looks down, hoping to god that jaehyun doesn’t notice how much his touch is affecting him. “it’s from the roses i have been working on, dethorning them is quite a piece of work, but don’t worry, i am fine!” 

“i can’t help but worry,” jaehyun pouts. “are you done with them though?” 

“almost?” taeyong offers with a slightly forced smile. “i’ve got like fifty or so left but i can definitely get them done in the next twenty minutes.” 

“but your hands will get worse if you do that. don’t they hurt?” jaehyun asks, grimacing in taeyong’s stead when his thumb brushes over one of the little cuts. “how can you finish them like this?” 

“it’s normal, all florists go through this! you should have seen taeil and doyoung’s hands when they first dethorned some roses. it doesn’t hurt all that much, i promise!” taeyong tries to grin as cheerfully and as brightly as possible to reassure jaehyun but he involuntarily yelps when jaehyun caresses the inside of his hand. “okay…. maybe it hurts just a bit but - “

“i will help you to finish them up,” jaehyun says sternly. “you can just treat your hands with some disinfectant and bandages and then do my bouquet while i work on the roses, okay?” 

“do you - do you even know how to do it? i’m not sure…. whether that’s a good idea,” taeyong says uncertainly. “i can’t just make a customer do my job!” 

“see me as an acquaintance, friend, lover, whatever you want besides a customer then,” jaehyun says cheerfully, squeezing his hands carefully before letting go, walking around the counter and then towards the roses once he spots them. he sits down on the stool taeyong had been on before, a small smile on his lips as he gets comfortable. “my mother used to run a flower shop, too, before she got tired and decided to open up a restaurant instead, i helped her out after school a lot. i am really good at this!” 

jaehyun smile turns into a bright grin and he doesn’t even give taeyong the time to protest, or answer, for that matter, as he immediately shrugs his leather jacket off - god damn it, he looks so fucking good in only a short sleeved white t-shirt and jeans - and picks out a random rose. 

taeyong, as he unabashedly stares, thinks it’s amusing how jaehyun doesn’t seem to have a lot of tattoos on his arms, or anywhere else really. 

he has only seen one on his ankle and now, that he looks closely, he has a new one on his neck. taeil had once told him that jaehyun has one on his back too.

taeyong would be lying if he says he doesn’t want to know what it is. 

it makes him curious as to why since most tattoo artists he knows, ten included, normally have tattoos everywhere. 

“don’t stare at me!” jaehyun suddenly protests, startling taeyong as he hided his face behinds his hands. “i will do a good job with the roses, i promise, so quit looking at me! it makes me shy!” 

taeyong blinks, doesn’t say anything else and turns around, blushing at having been caught staring. 

the fact that jaehyun had acted cutely in front of him only registering in his mind when he starts to actually pick out the flowers for jaehyun’s bouquet. 

taeyong is pretty sure he won’t get the image of a shy jaehyun out of his head for quite a while.

  
  
  


it takes about thirty minutes (painful ones for taeyong, he really hates how much disinfectant burns) before jaehyun taps taeyong on his shoulder with a grin.

he, then, shows him all the roses he had perfectly dethorned. 

“you weren’t kidding when you said you’d do a good job,” taeyong breathes out, impressed at jaehyun’s skills. 

“ouch,” jaehyun brings his hands to his chest and pretends to be offended. “it sounds as if you were doubting me. that really, really hurts, taeyong. i thought you trusted me!” 

“i - i do trust you, i was just… taken aback!” taeyong is quick to respond.

“aw, now that’s adorable,” jaehyun replies with a wide grin. “i am so thankful that you trust me.” 

taeyong doesn’t know how to respond to that, too flustered by the way jaehyun’s face literally lights up and a smile forms on his lips. jaehyun then reaches out to his wrist and inspects his now bandaged hands with the most adorable pout.

“you better take care of these,” jaehyun warns. “if not, i will never step a foot in here anymore.” 

“oh man, i can’t lose my best customer like that,” taeyong plays along. 

“exactly,” jaehyun nods, eyes sparkling beautifully as he looks directly into taeyong’s eyes. “who would annoy you every monday morning if not for me?” 

“nobody,” taeyong answers honestly. “what a great loss that would be.” 

jaehyun giggles, apparently satisfied by their conversation, and takes his jacket, putting it on quickly. he takes the flower bouquet taeyong had made sure to make extra pretty and then proceeds to take out his wallet but taeyong stops him before he can do anything.

“you don’t have to pay, it’s on me,” taeyong blurts out. “you helped me with the roses, it’s the least i can do.” 

“are you sure?” jaehyun cocks his head to the side. “i want to pay though, i only worked for like fifteen minutes. it wasn’t much.” 

“i don’t - i don’t want you to pay though,” taeyong frowns. “take it as a gift of thankfulness!” 

“okay then,” jaehyun declares. he seems like he is about to take off when his free hand reaches out to smooth out taeyong’s frown gently. “don’t make that face though. i only want to see you smiling cutely like always!” 

taeyong’s eyes widen and he gapes, not knowing what to respond. 

jaehyun simply laughs and then turns around, waving excitedly before leaving the flower shop. 

  
  
  


❀

  
  
  


the next time jaehyun enters the shop, it comes a little bit unexpectedly. 

it’s still monday and it’s still jaehyun’s usual time to show up, but instead of walking in relaxedly like he normally does, jaehyun enters with a screech as he closes the door rapidly after him and a snow ball lands right onto taeyong’s door. 

“i am so sorry,” jaehyun mutters as he flicks ten, who is laughing hysterically from across the street, off. 

taeyong just nods, confused, before he takes a closer look at jaehyun.

he is a bit more dressed up than last week - his sneakers being replaced by boots and his leather jacket by padding. there’s snow on jaehyun’s hair and his nose is bright red. 

god, he looks so fucking cute, taeyong wants to pinch his cheeks. 

“so... what can i do for you?” taeyong says. 

jaehyun turns around to face him and his eyes widen when they make eye contact.

“i…,” he starts but nothing comes out of his mouth.

taeyong doesn’t want to say it doesn’t fit his character very much, but jaehyun is normally very easy going and he has been the only reason why they even hold conversations. 

taeyong is usually too flustered to even begin to make sense while talking to him.

“i didn’t come for flowers?” jaehyun blurts out as he approached taeyong with a small smile. 

“oh, okay?” taeyong answers, cheeks reddening as jaehyun walks closer to the counter. 

jaehyun scratches the back of his head, a breathy laugh escaping him as he meets taeyong’s eyes again. 

to be honest, taeyong wants to combust, he is not quite sure how he can handle a shy looking jaehyun with cute red ears and rosy cheeks, much less so when he keeps coming  _ closer _ . 

“ten made me come, it’s kind of stupid,” jaehyun sighs. “i’ve been too much of a chicken, according to him, so yeah, ha.” 

“a chicken? why?” 

jaehyun looks at him surprised, it kind of almost looks like he wants to ask taeyong why he is so much of an idiot and doesn’t get it, but in a very… fond kind of way, if that makes sense.

honestly, for all taeyong knows, jaehyun could be just thinking he’s stupid. 

period.

taeyong can feel himself starting to blush too, just because jaehyun is looking so intently at him, that he doesn’t quite know what to do with himself

“because i have been trying to ask you out ever since i first entered the shop,” jaehyun says suddenly, laughing heartedly as his features soften even more. “i thought you knew.” 

taeyong blinks.

and blinks again. 

“wait what?” he says, astonished.

“i mean, please don’t feel obligated to reciprocate or anything,” jaehyun laughs awkwardly, adverting his gaze to look at the primroses next to where taeyong is standing. “but yeah.”

“are you serious?” taeyong finds himself asking, again, as his hands unknowing reach out to cup jaehyun’s cheeks.

jaehyun doesn’t even seem to flinch as taeyong’s warm hands come in contact with his hot cheeks, but taeyong most definitely feels his heart uncontrollably flinch before speeding up as he looks at jaehyun with twinkling eyes. 

“yep,” jaehyun scrunches his nose. 

“well, i have been trying to ask you on a date since the first time i laid eyes on you,” taeyong blurts out. “not going to lie, if you had asked for it, i’d have given you all the flowers in here for free. like, did you not know by the way i couldn’t even talk properly?”

“i mean, i was hoping, but you’re just so pretty, i wasn’t quite sure if it was just wishful thinking,” jaehyun giggles. “it took me a lot of courage to even just start s conversation with you.” 

“you are also very pretty! do you know what my heart does every time i see you in your leather jacket? you’re fucking gorgeous.”

taeyong should probably shut his mouth but god he just wants to keep singing praises about jaehyun, even more so, because jaehyun, who normally looks so confident, looks so shy as he giggles at taeyong’s rant about how pretty his eyes are and how good he looks in a white t-shirt. 

“so,” jaehyun reaches up his hands to his own cheeks to take a hold of taeyong’s hand and intertwine their fingers. “i’m guessing you say yes, to going out with me?” 

“yeah, yes, definitely,” taeyong giggles. 

“good, i will bring you some pretty flowers and we can meet on friday at 7?” 

“sounds good,” he answers. 

they stay like that, holding hands, for a little bit more before another snow ball lands against the flower shop’s door, startling them out of their trance. ten is signalling at jaehyun to come and the both of them laugh. 

“okay, guess we will see each other this friday?” 

“yeah, definitely.”

jaehyun squeezes his hand and is about to turn around, when taeyong is suddenly filled with a mild rush of confidence and tugs him forward to kiss his cheeks. 

“see you friday,” taeyong giggles at the star-struck look on jaehyun’s face. 

taeyong doesn’t know if meeting jaehyun, and getting to go out with him, is some kind of christmas miracle - but if it is, he never wants it to end. 

  
  



End file.
